


All You Knead is Love

by fivebyfreakingfive, lildarkone



Category: Callisto 6 (Web Series), Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Bakery Shop/Tattoo Shop AU, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:15:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24578146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fivebyfreakingfive/pseuds/fivebyfreakingfive, https://archiveofourown.org/users/lildarkone/pseuds/lildarkone
Summary: Fighting is something Cass has always been good at, first in back alleys, now in legitimate fights with large purses. Balancing this with working at her friend Oya's bakery means she has little time for much else. Especially with one of the biggest fights of her career coming up with enough money to make her and Oya's life much easier. However when a tattoo shop opens up next door and she meets the very attractive owner, Cass finds her attention drifting to things beyond the ring and kitchen.Her store was finally open and Luma's dream of owning a tattoo shop were finally a reality. However with that reality came the nuts and bolts of running a shop. Thankfully she knows she and her coworkers can make a go at this and be successful. It isn't until she runs into her new neighbor (and her very adorable dog) that Luma finds a completely different reason to be happy about where her life has taken her.
Relationships: Cassie "Cass" Charke/Luma Orsini
Comments: 15
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this is a very long time in the making. The original idea came from Fivebyfreakingfive's mind and a lot of back and forth bloomed into this baby. Thankfully they have been super patient with me and I hope all of y'all enjoy this little creation.
> 
> Enjoy!

“Alright One, Two. Go!” Butch barked, his voice reveberating against the exposed white brick walls. The staccato sound of the fighter's fists as they smacked into his padded mitts punctuated the air. “One Two, One Two, keep those fists up Charke!”

Cass Charke did, wrapped fists kept close to her face before striking out, working to keep her form clean and her strikes quick.

“Okay,” Butch stepped back, shaking out his hands. A small proud smile crossed his lips as he felt the sting in his palms, even with the thick padding. “We’re done for the morning.”

“Nah come on, I can keep going,” Cass said, rolling her neck. The muscles in her arms and back were burning, the signs of an intense workout, but she felt good.

“I’m sure you can, Charke. But it’s almost 5."

This snapped her attention from the exercise high and her head snapped around to the clock, blue eyes widening in surprise. She hadn’t realized it was getting so late. 

“Yeah, come on.” 

A towel hit her in the face and she laughed, pulling it away to wipe the sweat off her skin. “You’re doing better,” Butch said as he walked over to the edge of the ring and pulled the ropes apart to let Cass through. It was still early in the morning, the world outside the window dark and quiet. The digital clock that hung near the ceiling showed they had been at this for over an hour. “You’re tightening up your stance and your haymaker is more controlled. But ya gotta shape up that left side. You’re leavin’ yourself too open and it’s libel to get your ribs broken.”

Cass nodded, taking in the information and filing it away. For almost a decade she had been coming to the gym, dragged here by her friend Hopps. It became a safe place, where she could slowly file down the ragged edge of the chip on her shoulder.

“Go on and get outta here, you stink.”

“Hey!” She threw the towel back at him, but he dodged out of his way with a quickness that belied his years. Butch McGuinnes had been one of the top boxers in his prime, collecting accolades and infamy for close to fifteen years. Though he had retired twenty years ago, he still could show a quickness gained from a lifetime in the ring.

She let out a laugh as she bent down to pick up her bag. Blue eyes caught onto the massive poster that took up one of the windows near the front. It was a poster for the upcoming fight, The Warrior Belt, April 13th tucked below it. It was still a few months away, but coming fast, and that thought caused a wave of anticipation to wash over her.

She had always had a knack for getting into fights, especially when she learned how lucrative they could be. But this match was going to be the biggest one yet. Fighters from all across the United States were going to be coming together to see who was the best of the best. Los Angeles had the prestige of holding it this year and it was by invitation only. The day that Butch had pulled her aside to show her the inventation still felt like a dream to her. But a recent win against a local favorite, Jerome Blair, had caught the interest of the promoters. 

“You got six months to get ready for this. You gonna be up for it, kid?”

Cass hadn’t even hesitated in accepting the invite. The Warrior Belt was going to be different than any other fights for two reasons. One, the sheer number of disciplines and styles that were going to be showcased; Muay Thai, Boxing, Kickboxing, Judo, there was no telling who she was going to go up against and she wanted to be ready. Two, a 500k purse up for grabs. She never imagined seeing that much money in her lifetime.

“Always, Butch,” She finally said with her signature crooked grin.

“Good. Now get. Tell Oya and the others I said hey.”

“Will do, Coach.”

Cass shouldered her bag and walked out, taking one last glance at the poster, with the faces that she’d soon be facing. With a small nod, she walked out, ready to head home and get ready for the rest of the day.

-=-

By the time she reached the apartment fatigue was starting to turn her muscles to lead, but she muscled through. It wouldn't be the first time she worked after an early morning workout. Though the training class she had later was going to be tough.

Yay for energy drinks.

“Hey O,” Cass called out as she slipped into the apartment she shared with her best friend, Oya. They had met in grade school, bonding over a love of empanadas and dumb jokes, and have been inseparable ever since. Their friendship had seen them through decades of celebrations and hardships. From the death of Cass's dad, to Mama G getting sick, to a very rough patch when Cass had fallen in with the 4th street Vipers.

Oya was the best sister Cass never had.

“Hey. Have a good practice?” Oya asked, leaning against the kitchen counter with a mug of cafecito in her hands. The steam swirled upwards, curling around her square face and flushing her cheeks with its heat.

“Yeah. Butch said I’m doing better.” Her muscles held the simultaneous ache and fatigue that only a good workout could bring. As sore as she knew she was going to be, even after all these years she still loved the feeling because it meant a job well done.

A patter of clicking nails proceeded a gangly white pitbull coming down the small hallway from the back bedrooms. The dog skidded on the wooden floors, tumbling and smacking into Cass’s legs before looking up at her with a goofy grin. “Hey, Rex. You been good for Mama O?” Rex barked and Cass bent down to scruff her hands along his chest and neck. His jaws split into a large doggy grin.

“He came in and snuggled after you left for the gym, didn’t you, baby?” Oya scratched him under the chin before nodding over to the stove. As she straightened she saw Cass give a wide yawn. "You sure you're gonna be able to work? You can take the day off, me, Yasha, and Marris should have it."

"No," Cass said immediately, hating even the thought of not pulling her weight. "I just need some food and caffeine and i'll be good."

Oya didn't argue, knowing it was pointless now. "Okay. Well I made breakfast if you wanna grab something before you join me down in the store.”

Cass’s stomach grumbled at that moment and she grinned. “Sounds perfect. I’ll shower and eat and meet you down there.”

“No rush. Yasha’ll be in soon.”

“Where is she?” Cass glanced over to their couch that their friend and coworker Yasha sometimes crashed on. 

“She spent the night over at Beau and Jester’s last night.” Cass nodded. The couch-jumping was not an irregular thing for their friend. Yasha was...interesting. Between her large size, goth looks, and different colored eyes, she was intimidating as hell. But Cass had never met anyone else quieter or with a drier sense of humor, who still managed to have the gentlest touch when it came to anything she worked with, whether it was the small garden over at Jess’s place or the pastries in the shop. 

Yasha had just come into the shop one day to buy something and ended up working there, soon after crashing on Cass and Oya’s couch on occasion. It wasn’t strange for her to disappear off the map on her days off, then turn back up ready to work. It didn’t bother Cass or Oya, they knew she could take care of herself and she was a helluva worker.

“Ok,” Cass replied, giving Rex one more pat before heading over to the stove to grab food. Rex shot off to grab one of his chew toys, the insistent sound of squeaking rattling the air as he tossed a small stuffed frog around.

Oya rinsed her dishes and put them in the dishwasher before heading to the door, stopping to drop a kiss on Rex’s head. "Can you take Trouble out before heading down?"

"Sure thing. See you in a bit." Oya left and Rex looked over at his other owner, head cocked with his muzzle full of green fabric. Cass pointed at him. "She called you trouble, not me."

-+-+-

Thirty minutes later found a freshly showered Cass letting herself into the bakery. She would have been in sooner, but Rex decided a five minute game of keep-away with her wallet was in order. “Mornin’ Yasha,” She called to the large woman heading into the kitchen.

Yasha turned, still tying the apron around her waist, “Hello Cass.”

“Anything interesting happened so far?” While they may not even be open yet, one thing Cass had learned from working in a kitchen was it didn’t take long for things to go from normal to weird real quick.

“Main oven broke.”

“Again?” Cass groaned, earning a sympathetic nod from her friend. While they did have two other ovens, they were smaller and meant it would take longer to knock out batches and orders. 

“Luckily Lacy was willing to come over right away, guess they didn’t have work,” Yasha replied as the two walked into the large kitchen. Inside she spotted the massive oven in question and the figure half hanging out of it. Lacy LaGrangia-Franklin, a local mechanic and the shop’s own miracle worker, was muttering to themselves as they tried to figure out what the problem was this time. 

“Thought it was working fine yesterday," Cass said as she grabbed her own apron.

“It was,” Oya said from where she stood on the other side of Lacy, a dejected look on her face. “I just think she’s on her last leg. Even Lacy can only work so many miracles.”

“I feel like I should be insulted by that,” came Lacy’s muffled voice as they pushed farther into the oven. They let out a small grunt before they finally emerged, holding a small piece of metal and wires in their hands. “Though this piece is starting to look a bit worn. I can get another one though, don’t worry!” They quickly added when Oya grimaced.

“If you can that would be amazing. Thank you.” Lacy grinned brightly, color brushing their cheeks as they scuffed their fingers along their scalp before delving back into the oven.

Cass moved towards the walk in near the back of the store. “Me and Yasha’ll get the other ovens started so we can get a jump start. Thankfully we prepped a buncha dough last night.”

“Thanks, Cass,” Oya said, moving to cup her friend’s shoulder and brushed a kiss across the side of her head. She moved to go, but Cass caught her wrist.

“We have enough yet to fully fix the oven? Or get a new one?” Cass asked, blue eyes watching the other woman’s face. Being friends nearly their entire lives meant it was hard for them to lie to one another. It was this that allowed her to see the darkening storm in her umber eyes that revealed her inner disquiet.

“We’ll figure something out,” Oya said with a forced smile.

“We always do," Cass assured. It was true, they always did, but she wondered how many more tricks Lacy would be able to pull. "Go on, me, and Yasha got it back here."

Oya nodded and moved to the front of the store to finish setting up for the day. Cass watched her go for a moment, the smile dropping from her face as worry churned in her stomach.

Lily’s Donuts was a staple of the community, located in a low slung strip mall just before the docks that led to Raft City proper. It had no shortlist of customers, especially now that Oya had taken over and added her own touches. A bigger menu and space for locals to sell their menu added to a cozy eclectic feel that always drew people in.

But the place had begun showing its age, and the machinery was taking a bit longer to heat up, sometimes on occasion not heating up at all.

This place was Oya’s baby, something she had blossomed in when the rat race of VR production for the Corp had worn her down at a young age. Cass had lost track of the number of nights they had sat up talking about the pros and cons of owning the place, of Oya’s worries over money and hopes of where they could go. She didn't have much to contribute in way of advice, Cass just wasn't the business type. So she lent an ear and shoulder. She also helped out wherever she could. Most of the money she made from coaching at the gym and fight purses went towards rent and other necessities. There were some days that were harder than others, but she kept pushing.

This was the biggest reason she wanted that Warrior Belt purse. It would go so damn far and maybe even take the weight off Oya's shoulders.

“Everything okay?” The deep timbre of Yasha’s soft voice pulled Cass from her thoughts and she turned with a nod.

Yasha stared at her for a moment, her blue and purple eyes sharp, but she didn’t say anything. The look was intense, but only out of worry, Cass knew. Yasha was loyal and worried more than she often let on. She also had a calming presence that Cass appreciated, especially now as it helped to ease some of the knots in her stomach.

“Yeah, come on. These rolls ain't gonna pan themselves.”

-=-

The breakfast then lunch rush passed in a blur of hot sugar, orders, and back and forth trips to the ovens. Cass and Yasha worked in tandem, scooting around Marris, who still moved at the pace of someone still learning the ropes. He had only been working there a few months, and while he preferred to goof off and crack jokes, something Cass would wholeheartedly agree with, he still tried to do his best.

“How’s everything, Marris?”

The young man shrugged, but the smile on his face never wavered. In fact, Cass couldn’t remember a time when he wasn’t smiling.

“Good,” He said with a pout, but shrugged, not really elaborating. Cass didn’t push him further. He was one of the teenagers from the neighborhood that Oya had hired to help out around the place. It was a tradition started by Lily’s father and continued on, and one that had at one time benefited Oya and Cass both as they had spent many summers working here. He was a bit flaky, but always friendly and good with customers. His face suddenly brightened, his green eyes almost glowing. “Duke is coming home tomorrow, so me and Snaps are trying to plan something for the three of us.”

“That’s great, Marris,” Oya said, having overheard as she came into the kitchen.

“Yeah, it’ll be great having her home.”

“Course it will. You’ll have to bring her around-” Cass was cut off by a jaw cracking yawn as the fatigue she’d been fighting for the last few hours slowly began to seep back in. The energy drink she had downed before heading in had long worn off and the coffee she had been drinking didn't seem to be helping. “Sorry. But you’ll have to bring her around so we can finally meet her.”

“Yeah? That’d be great.”

Cass smiled, but was off by another yawn. “Sorry.”

“Long night?”

“More like early morning. I have a couple classes to teach later so I went in early this morning to work out.”

“For the fight right?” Marris perked up. “How’s that coming?”

“Good.” They chatted about the fight and Duke’s homecoming. It wasn’t until Cass felt a hand on her shoulder and a warm wall pressed against her side that she realized she had been dozing off again. Dozing off and leaning against Yasha.

“Oh shit, sorry Yasha,” Cass sputtered, straightening up. Yasha shook her head and smiled.

“No worries. Maybe you should take a break before heading into class?”

Cass shook her head, “I’m fine.”

“No she’s right. Go ahead and get some sleep. I’ll have Beau and Hopps come up and get you when they get here. We have it under control.” 

She wanted to argue, but between the very pointed look from her best friend and the fact that she kept having to blink her eyes open she relented. 

“Fine. Okay. Thanks O.” Cass squeezed Oya’s hand as she passed by and trudged outside and up to her apartment. She had been doing this for years now, becoming almost an expert at juggling her schedule of work, fights, training and whatever else popped up. But there were still days like today when things caught up to her, when a favor from a friend had her agreeing to take on a bit more because she needed the money.

Thank god she had people like Oya that forced her to to take care of herself.

Entering the apartment, Rex greeted her immediately. After a quick run outside so he could relieve himself, they walked back in and made a beeline for Cass’s room. She stripped down to her tank top and boxers and climbed into bed, Rex hopping in beside her. She just barely remembered to set an alarm on her phone before passing out.

-=-

BANG BANG BANG

Cass yelped and fell off her bed in a tangle of blankets and dog. The air left her lungs in a loud ‘oof’ as Rex landed on her back and she struggled to untangle herself.

BANG BANG BANG.

“Yeah! Shit hold on. Rex, get off.” The dog scrambled off her and ran towards the door barking. A glance at her phone showed her alarm would be going off in a few minutes so she had a pretty good guess who was knocking. And of course it would be in the most obnoxious way possible.

She stumbled to the door, not bothering to get dressed, and pulled it open. On the other side stood two of her best friends and current pain in the asses. Right in front of the door, with her hand poised in mid-knock, Hopps stood next to their other friend Beau, both looking about as night and day as one could get in a pair. Where Beau stood tall and lean, bronze skin and glinting blue eyes above a perpetually cocky grin, Hopps was shorter, with pale skin and red hair that showed her Irish heritage and the temper to match. They were two of her closest friends outside of Oya, and they were generally a rowdy bunch when together, constantly rough housing and pranking each other.

Like pounding on a door to wake your friend out of a dead sleep.

“Hey sleepyhead. Oya sent us up to come get you.”

“You guys have a key. Why didn’t you just come in?”

“And miss you in those adorable boxers? Nah,” Beau replied from where she was leaning against the wall to Hopps’s left, her lips quirked up in a half grin. Cass rolled her eyes at the teasing. “Are those moths?”

Ignoring Beau’s comment, she turned to walk back down to her bedroom, “Give me a minute to get my stuff, I’ll be right out.”

“Just meet us downstairs!” Hopps yelled as she and Beau left, their mission to wake Cass up in the most annoying way possible accomplished. Cass quickly picked up her gym bag that still had everything from this morning and her notebook that she used for her classes. After making sure everything was ready and replenishing Rex’s food and water bowl she walked out, feeling a bit more awake then before.

Downstairs Hopps and Beau were standing outside and jogged over to her so they could head down to the bus. As she passed the storefront on the other side of the alley across from the bakery, she heard music coming from inside. It had been empty for quite a few months, but lately a construction crew had been going in and out.

However, as she glanced inside she paused mid-step when she saw a platinum blonde woman standing in the empty room, wiping her forehead with the back of her sleeve. “Wow,” Cass breathed, taken by the heart shaped face and soft smile.

“Hey Cass! Hurry your ass up or we’ll be late!” Hopps yelled out, snapping Cass back to reality. She blinked and glanced at her friends, who were looking at her in confusion before her eyes drew back to the window. She startled when she saw dark eyes staring back at her. The woman lifted her hand in a wave, a beautiful smile on her face. And all Cass could muster was a half-hearted wave before scurrying away, her face hot and a scowl on her face at her own inability to think around a pretty woman.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the love so far.  
> Hope everyone is staying healthy and safe. Enjoy the chapter!

Luma cocked her head, confused and mildly amused at the cutie that had dashed away. A throat clearing behind her pulled her attention towards the man standing next to her. Joe, the head of the construction crew that had been working on the shop. They had worked together, hashing out details and trying to find affordable ways, without cutting corners, to bring her dream to life.

‘Oh god, this is really happening!’ Butterflies erupted in her stomach as the thought hit her mind. It had been on an almost constant loop for the last six months. Ever since she first signed the contract with the landlord to take the space, playing faster and faster as the days ticked by.

It had started as an idea, bubbled up during her times of apprenticeship and having her own chair at Raft City Tattoo Parlor. Her old boss, Orly, had been supportive of Luma, teaching her the ropes of not only tattooing, but running a shop.

She knew she had lucked out with this one. In a small strip inside Baldwin Islands, but close enough to Raft City that it still felt like home. It also helped that they were far enough away where they wouldn’t be competing with Orly’s shop. That had been one of the most important aspects that Luma had thought of when searching for a location.

“So, what do you think?” Joe asked, tapping the clipboard in his hand against his other palm. Both took a moment to look around, at the months and months of work that had come to fruition. Luma had wanted to keep the feel of Raft City, thinking back to the bars and homes and ships she grew up around. Thick, horizontal, honey-colored wooden planks covered the lower half of the walls, butting up against a strip of thick black iron, before continuing up to black and gray weather-worn wood that stretched up to the exposed rafter ceiling. The floor was cement, a necessity she learned from hours spent having to clean the Raft City parlor. Ceiling fans hung among the exposed rafters, off for now, but would help cut the heat when summer rolled in. Near the front, a glass display case would show off some of their wares, courtesy of her friend, and soon to be coworker, Jester, and would act as their register area. Closer to the back, to the right of the huge bay doors that led to the back parking lot, a section was portioned off for storage, office space, as well as a private area if a client needed a more intimate area tattooed or pierced.

The walls were bare, the corners still held traces of construction dust, and their voices slightly echoed in the space. 

Luma could not stop smiling.

“It’s perfect,” She said, eyes dancing around, mentally already filling it with artwork and memorabilia that she and the others had talked about bringing into the shop. They had most everything ready between Jester and Cobalt bringing in the smaller pieces today and the delivery of the bigger pieces scheduled for later that night.

Joe smiled brightly, always happy to see his customer satisfied, but especially this one. He had spent many hours with the young woman, helping her figure out the way this was going to work, what materials were better compared to others. It had been a challenge, as she didn’t have the largest budget, but he felt they had reached a very good balance. “Good. Now if you will just sign here.” He held out the clipboard for her to sign the last of her paperwork, waiting as she read it over. She was thorough, something else he found refreshing, before taking it back and holding out a small key chain with three sets of keys. “The gold key is for the front doors, the black one is for the bay doors, and the square one is for the door next to it. And they are all yours, Ms. Orsini.”

Luma took the keys, ignoring how her fingers trembled with excitement and anxiety. “Thank you so much for all your help, Joe.”

“‘Course. Glad to help you get your baby up and running. Good luck with everything and don’t hesitate to call if you need something okay?”

Luma smiled and took his hand in a firm shake before he walked out, leaving her alone.

She let out a shaky breath and grinned. ‘This is really happening.’

-=-

Zach Krause, Cobalt to his friends, grunted as he fumbled with the door, his hands full with some boxes. With a small ‘ha’ he got it opened and walked into the shop, stopping for a moment to admire the new space. “Luma!” He called, wincing as his voice echoed in the bare space. Luma looked up from where she had been wiping down some of the display cases.

“Hey, here let me help.” Luma rushed over to take a few items, setting them down on the floor. “You guys get here okay?”  
Cobalt let out a weak laugh. “We got here in one piece, just a bit faster than I was expecting. Jester drove,” He said by way of explanation, earning a sympathetic laugh from Luma. The two had been tasked with taking everything out of storage to bring to the place and while he loved his friend dearly, she had a bit of a lead foot with a thrill seeking attitude to match. He wondered if some gray now shot through the blue of his hair.

“Oh my god, guys! This place is amazing.” 

Speak of the devil. 

Jessica Lavorre, or Jester to her friends, flounced in, jewel blue eyes taking in all the space with a spin and bright smile. She immediately scooped Luma into a hug.

Luma laughed, amazed as always at the amount of strength in her tiny frame, and hugged her back. “It is. And it’s ours. It’s finally ours.” She held up the key ring, mentally making a note to make copies for the two. Despite the fact it was her name on the paperwork, all three of them had a piece in the place. “Come on, let’s start unloading everything.”

“Knock knock. Is it too late to join the party?” Another voice spoke up from the open doorway and Luma whirled around. Her face lit up as she watched her best friend Lacy roll in.

“Nope, perfect timing! Oh, I’m so glad you’re here!” Luma enthused, running over to hug them. They had known one another since they were kids, having both grown up across from each other in Raft City. Lacy had been Luma’s biggest supporter, besides her family of course, when she had started playing with the idea of opening her own shop. They had spent countless hours with her as she came up with ideas of location, suppliers, logistics, everything.

“Of course! I wouldn’t miss it! I just had another job to finish up that ran longer than I was expecting. Thankfully, it was next door at the bakery.”

“Oh Luma, did I mention that was the biggest reason I was so happy you chose this spot?” Jester said, earning a laugh from the rest of the group. They all knew the size of Jester’s sweet tooth and hoped the place knew the storm that was coming in the form of one tiny artist.

“How about after we unbox everything, we’ll step over to say hello and get something to celebrate?” She got an enthusiastic yes from Jester and a rapid nod from Cobalt. “Alright! Let's get to it!” 

-=-

Bit by bit they moved in the furniture from the large rented moving van. The pieces were the product of many weekends spent at flea-markets and wandering through LA’s thrift shops. A sofa and overstuffed chairs went near the front along with a coffee table that would act as the waiting area, a desk went into the office, followed by a couple of filing cabinets, a large swivel chair, and various office supplies. Lacy spent time getting the electronics up and running as they started filling out the rest of the space.

Flash and personally drawn pieces began to fill the display cases on the wall, organized around the areas set up specifically for each of them. There were four areas niched out for their work areas, each set up with cabinets, a mirror, and, once the delivery got there later, a chair and rolling table that would hold their equipment. The fourth station would be reserved for whenever they hired another person, using that as a hope to expand the place one day, or if any of their tattoo artist friends decided to stop by.

Art collected, or done by them, began to scatter around the rest of the remaining wall space. It took a few arguments, but soon everything was arranged, a few pieces standing about above the others. The first being a large sign that read ‘Dockside Inks’, spray-painted with a sea at sunset taking up the space within the letters. Luma and Cobalt had worked on the piece, going back and forth about ideas and colors, knowing this was going to be the most prominent as it would hang from the ceiling over the register, meant to catch the eye of any who entered. The second was a hand-painted outdoor sign that had been done by Jester of a large curved arrow that would point to the door with the parlor's name done in beautiful calligraphy.

“This place looks so amazing, Luma,” Cobalt said as he stood next to her, looping an arm around her shoulders as they both surveyed their handy work. It was nearing close to five now, they had been at this for a few solid hours, and while they were all tired and probably going to be a bit sore, being able to look at their baby and see it coming to life filled them with pride.

“We are going to be the most kickass tattoo parlor ever,” Jester exclaimed with a small fist pump from her perch on a nearby ladder. She climbed down and joined them, looping her arms around them both.

“Hell yes, we are,” Cobalt cheered, high fiving his friend and accepting the one-armed hug as they all stopped to admire their work.

A loud noise had them looking down at Jes’s stomach.

“Uh, we skipped lunch so break time?”

“That sounds amazing,” Luma said. “Lacy, you hungry?”

Lacy rolled out from behind the registers where they had been working to get the register system up and going. “I could go for some food!”

“Perfect, let's head next door," Luma said. With a press to her subvocals aimed only at Lacy she added, "And I can finally meet this Oya that keeps you so busy." She grinned widely when she saw the blush cross Lacy’s cheeks. ‘Oh, now I definitely want to meet her.’ “Let’s go. My treat.”

They all filed out and headed next door. As soon as they entered, the smell of coffee, pastries, and a savory smell Luma couldn't quite identify hit them, making four sets of stomachs growl. The inside of the place was adorable. Two-top lacquered tables were set up around the edge of the lobby, pressed against the brick wall that held a vast array of photos and art. It was eclectic and tasteful. She found her eyes wandering to a set of photos that looked like they were taken inside the store, though it had been some time as the tables looked a bit different. One of the more adorable ones was a couple of girls, leaning towards one another with their faces turned towards the camera with large smiles, and powdered sugar covering one of them..

“Yasha!” Jester crowed, running around to throw her arms around the taller woman’s waist in a tight hug. “We’re gonna be neighbors now! Isn’t that so cool?”

“Very,” Yasha chuckled. Jester’s enthusiasm was as infectious as always. “So you guys are all moved in?” She glanced at the others, recognizing them a bit from hanging out with Jess. “Good to see all of you again. And welcome to the shop.”

“We’re mostly moved in,” Luma said, crossing to the counter to join the others. “And this place looks great.”

“Thank you,” Oya said as she stepped out of the kitchen. “Welcome to Lily’s Bakery. Welcome back, Lacy,” The Latina smiled over at the mechanic who gave a small wave.

“Hey O. We got hungry so we came to get some food.”

“You want your usual falafel wrap?”

“Yes please.”

“Coming right up. And for the rest of you?” With practiced efficiency, she took the rest of their orders, waving her hand as they started to pull out their wallets. "Consider it a 'Welcome to the Neighborhood'." Yasha took the order slip and moved to the back to start on the food as Oya lingered to speak with them.

“So this is your place?” Luma asked.

“Not quite yet, the original owner Lily is set to retire soon, so I’m going to be taking over after that. What about you? Is the parlor the three of yours?”

“It’s Luma’s baby. We just get to be here for the ride,” Jester explained around a mouthful of a blueberry muffin Yasha had handed over.

“Yeah, I’ve been wanting to open my own business for a while now.” It had been so frightening to take that next step. She had gotten into tattooing almost by accident, moving from a street artist to apprentice when Orly had happened upon some of her work at a festival. She had taken to it quickly, sweating through the normal apprenticeship which included hours of cleaning, sweeping, and cashier work. But she had finally gotten her own chair and loved the challenge of trying to bring a client’s work to life.

She had made up her mind when she had been talking to Orly one night after close, the older grizzled man sharing the story of starting up his own shop.

“Have you ever thought of owning your own place, Orsini?”

Luma had shrugged, having thought of it, but had felt if she admitted it she would appear ungrateful.

“You’ve got the head for it, I'll tell you that. If you ever decide to, I'll be happy to help.”

She looked up at the man in surprise and he chuckled.

“Just one promise from you.”

“What?”

“Don’t put your shop close to mine. You’ll put mmm-me outta business.”

Luma laughed and agreed.

“I finally found a good spot and,” She took a deep breath, feeling the lingering nerves at everything that was on the line. “Took the plunge.” 

Oya nodded, understanding that as she was going through similar things taking over Lily’s. “Yeah take the plunge is an apt description, but it’s worth it.”

Luma smiled, appreciating the words and filing them away. It would be worth it once they get the shop up and running and clients coming in.

A hand brushing against hers had her turning to see Lacy giving an encouraging smile. “I think it will be. And if your coffee is always this good you’ll definitely have loyal customers," She added with a laugh as Cobalt and Jester murmured their agreements around mouthfuls of the drink.

Oya laughed. “You’re always welcome. I’ll have to have you meet my roommate and coworker Cass when she gets back from the gym. She’s been playing with the idea of getting a tattoo for awhile now.”

“We’d love to have her,” Luma said, thanking Yasha who handed over their food. As she bit into the BLT, moaning at the amazing flavor, she failed to notice Lacy smiling almost impishly at the mention of Cass’s name.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Hope everyone is doing well today, if not then I hope it quickly gets better for you. I want to send a quick shoutout to everyone that has been leaving comments and kudos, it's very much appreciated. Life has been a bit shite lately, taking with it any time or even desire to write. Apologies for the long wait, hopefully this longer chapter will make up for it.  
> Also a shoutout to my amazing coauthor for listening to me rant when writer's block is kicking my ass and helping me polish this up for everyone to enjoy.
> 
> Have a great day and love to you and yours ^.^  
> -lildark1

By the time her class finished and Cass was riding the bus home, the sun was starting to dip into the horizon. Beau and Hopps had gotten off on other stops, leaving her to finish her journey home alone. She pulled her headphones out of her bag and slipped them into her ears, blue eyes watching the world outside fly by. On the other side of the scratched pane, her city was beginning its nightly ritual, shedding its daylight skin for the seedier, flashier nighttime trappings. She remembered a time when she would be in the heart of the city, on a street corner with Hopps, Beau, and some of the other Vipers, or in a back alley itching for a fight.

Thank god she had been pulled out of that; though, it had taken a toll on her relationships with people, specifically with Oya, her mother, and her Uncle Charlie. She had been able to reconnect with Oya and Charlie pretty quickly. The relationship with her mother was another story. They hadn’t been close for a very long time and now often only saw one another when Charlie insisted on them spending time together.

Her hands fidgeted as she played over the idea of inviting her mother to the Warrior Belt. While it was going to be one of the biggest moves of her career, her mother was never shy about voicing her distaste for Cass's choice of jobs. Even when Cass had started at the gym, taking up classes and legitimate fights, Catherine Charke still hadn’t been pleased.

Cass let out a breath, willing away those morose thoughts and thinking about the young students she had today. While it wasn’t her normal class, she still grew excited when she was coaching. Whenever she saw one of her students succeed at a goal or a move, she felt that pride bloom between her ribs until she felt like she’d explode. She may not be saving the world or anything, but she was still making a difference in her little corner of the city.

The announcement for her stop pulled Cass from her musings and she got up, slinging her pack over her shoulder.

“Thanks, Jim!” She called to the driver who gave a wave and a smile as she hopped off. The stop wasn’t far from home and before long she was walking along the familiar storefronts leading up to the bakery. As she passed by the bakery, she was surprised to see a light still on near the back of the store where the office was. Using her key she let herself in, locking up behind herself. 

She ducked her head around the corner, concerned when she saw Oya hunched over the desk. Oya looked up when she heard Cass knock on the door. Her eyes widened as she looked up at the clock, not realizing how much time had passed. She had been going through the paperwork and finances and time had gotten away from her.

“Everything okay, O?” Cass asked, seeing the tight lines along her friend’s eyes and the corners of her mouth. Without waiting for Oya to answer, she crossed to the small electric kettle and poured a cup, dropping in one of Oya’s favorite teas before walking back. “Here.”

Oya let out a breath and smiled as she took the cup and bobbed the bag. The scent of honey and lemon that curled through the air seeped through some of the stress that had been bunching up her shoulders. “Thanks, Cass. And yeah, just going over paperwork. I didn’t realize what time it was.”

“Anything I can help with?”

Oya shook her head. “I put stuff in the crockpot this morning, mind checking on it and taking our fur doofus out? I think Yasha walked him before she left for the night, but it’s been a bit since then.”

“Gotcha,” Cass said, willing to do whatever she could to help. “But don’t stay down here too long okay?”

Oya smiled, sipping, and feeling some of the tension that had been knotting up her shoulders bleed away. “Okay. I’ll be up in a second.”

Before walking out Cass walked around and dropped a kiss on Oya’s cheek. “Love you O.”

Oya smiled, her hands reaching up to squeeze Cass’s arm. “Love you too Cass. I’ll be up in a little bit.”

The door closed with a soft snick and Cass’s smile dropped. She recognized the sight of bills and notices well enough. From her quick glimpse, she had only seen a couple, but they were more worries that were going to pile on Oya’s shoulders.

_‘Maybe I can see if there’s a small fight coming up I can get into?’_ It wasn’t the best plan. No matter how good she was there was always a chance she could get hurt and ruin her chances at the Warrior Belt. ‘Just something small.’ A small voice in the back of her head reminded her there were always the shadow fights, back alley brawls that she originally cut her teeth on. While she would have no trouble finding one, they held their own type of dangers.

Shaking her head she made her way upstairs. There wasn’t much she could do about that now, but she could help with dinner and Rex.

“Hey baby boy,” She said, as she was greeted immediately by the Pit bull who never failed to bring a smile to her face. Rex barked and yipped, running up to her and jumping up on her. “Ah-ah, no,” She tried to sound forceful, but it was hard to keep up the appearance when those big golden eyes looked up at her. She moved back, letting him plop back down on the ground and scratched her fingers through the scruff on his head. “Give me a second.” She picked up a nearby toy and tossed it down the hall, causing Rex to dart off after it.

With the familiar sound of squeaking and happy yips occurring in the background, she moved over to the slow cooker and checked it. The smell of cooking pork and tomatillos drifted up and Cass had to resist the urge to lift the lid and stick her face in. Cooking wasn’t one of her specialties, despite how much Oya, her Uncle Charlie, and Mama G had tried to give her pointers. She just wasn’t gifted with the patience for it. At least she got over her tendency to burn water and toast. She could even make a pretty good spaghetti, if she had enough time. Thankfully Oya wasn’t the same, otherwise, they would have died of scurvy a long time ago. 

Behind her, she heard a bark and turned to see Rex performing what they called his ‘Go Outside’ dance where he pranced and tippy tapped back and forth. He did this for a few seconds before sitting in front of where his leash hung. “Okay, I get the hint. Come on.”

After leaving the apartment Cass made a left and headed towards the beach. Before C-Day, the land had stretched out for a couple more miles, but the massive storms had pushed the beachfront much farther in. Now the strip of land was only a dozen feet wide from sea to the sidewalk, better for walks and runs then lounging about. It was one of Cass’s favorite places to take Rex, who seemed to think he was a fish. There had been several times when Rex had been a puppy that she had had to dive into the waves right after him when he got a little too enthusiastic.

As always as they crossed under the 405, Rex began to prance and jump. Cass chuckled as she watched. She had never had a dog growing up, her mother had been allergic, so Rex was her first pet. He had been a surprise from Charlie who had brought him home one day when Cass was still living with him. The poor pup had been a ball of bones, matted fur, and scars. It had taken a long time for Rex to warm up to them. But, the first time Cass had woken up to Rex burrowing to cuddle under her arm, she knew he was going to be okay. They had been inseparable since, and Rex loved acting like the puppy he never got to be.

As they arrived at the beach front, Cass unclipped his leash as he bolted off towards the waves, chasing any birds he saw on the way. Cass watched him with a small smile for a few minutes as he tore up and down the shoreline, before letting out a sharp whistle to call him back in.

“Gah Rex!” Cass barely had time to brace herself before Rex came flying at her and knocked her on her butt. Laughter filled the air as enthusiastic kisses covered her face. “Okay, okay okay, I love you too! Get off.” She laughed, any morose thoughts disappearing as she sat up, not caring about the sand stuck to her back and legs. Her fingers scratched at his neck and back before glancing down at her watch. “Come on boy, food should be about done and Oya should be home. Wanna see Oya? Huh?” Each word got Rex more and more excited and he barked happily hearing his other owner’s name. “Thought so, come on.”

After clipping Rex back into his leash, they made their way back, crossing under the 405, and cutting through the parking lot that sat right behind the strip mall. This late in the evening the shadows had already engulfed most of it, only cut through by the occasional streak of headlights. She was just able to notice a door opening behind one of the other shops and a circle of blue emerging before she was nearly yanked off her feet by a suddenly excited Rex who took off running, his leash slipping out of Cass’s fingers before she could readjust her grip.

“Rex!”

-=-

Luma watched the sun dip lower on the horizon, the air tinged with the hint of sea and fall. She wrapped her arms around herself, allowing a moment of quiet after the chaos of the day. It had been filled with moving, decorating, cleaning, coordinating suppliers, brainstorming ideas for the grand opening, and so much more.

It had helped to have Lacy, Cobalt, and Jester there, helping to get their place up and going, shouldering the burden that Luma would really only admit to herself felt crushing at times. But they were all in this together, of course, this was their baby. Well, Lacy wasn’t going to really be working here, but Luma knew if she ever needed help Lacy would be there without hesitation.

A chirping sound stalled her, but she smiled brightly when she saw it was her mother calling her. She quickly pulled in up on her ocular lenses.

“Mama,” She said, feeling the last of the tension melt away.

“Hey, baby. How’s everything?” In the background, she could just make out the sound of the television and familiar squabbling of her brothers. She smiled at the familiar noise.

“Good. Cobalt and Jester are going to grab the last things for the night. Then I’ll be home. Do you need me to grab anything?”

“No, we’re good. We’ve just finished with dinner. Have you eaten? We saved you some.”

“Thanks. I may be home late, I’ll try not to wake you up when I get in.”

“Don’t worry. You’re dad’s been asleep most of the day so he’ll probably be up when you get home.” There was a hint of worry around her mother’s eyes, a tightening that was only perceptible to her oldest daughter because she had seen it so often in the last five years.

“Is he okay?”

“He had physical therapy this morning. You know how that tires him out.”

Luma nodded, her heart aching with worry for her family. It had been a hard five years, starting with a horrible accident at work that had left her father unable to walk and unable to fully move one arm. It had been...hard was the first thing that always came to mind, but seemed inadequate when describing the endless hours spent in hospitals, waiting for news, waiting for him to wake up, waiting for him to come home...endless hours of waiting and worrying and trying to stay strong for her parents and siblings.

Now her dad had regained use of both arms and a few months ago had surgery to fix the damage to his spine. Thank god for Ruben who had been able to help with his position at Cassium, but the bills were still astronomical and continuing to pile on.

“I’ll probably sit up with him for a while then.”

“He’d like that. We’re both so proud of you baby. Tattoo artist isn’t the career path I would have seen you in, but you’ve done so well. Now it’s kind of thrilling to see a tattoo on someone that I know you’ve done.”

Tears burned the back of Luma’s eyes, a combination of the lingering pain and overwhelming joy at hearing her mother’s words. “Thanks, Mama.”

“Well, I’ll let you go. I need to get Sophia down for the night.”

“Okay. Tell dad and the gremlins I love them, and give Sophia a kiss.”

“Will do. Love you, baby.”

“Love you, too, Mama.”

Luma tapped her temple, shutting off the display and leaning back against the cool brick of the shop. Her shop. This shop came with a lot, represented more and every day she woke up afraid they had made the wrong choice. But she couldn’t let herself be afraid. Her family needed her.

“Luma?” A soft voice broke through Luma’s thoughts and she turned with a watery smile to greet Lacy, who rolled out the backdoor next to her. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah just talked to my mom. She was just seeing how everything is going. She also told me my dad’ll probably be up when I get home. He’s been sleeping most of the day.”

“Physio?” Luma nodded and Lacy reached out to take their friend’s hand, squeezing it. “He okay?”

“Tired, hurting probably. It always takes a lot out of him.”

“Papa says he’s doing really well.”

“Good to hear. I don’t know what we would have done without your dad. He’s...all of you,” Luma choked off a bit, blinking back the tears she could feel burning.

“You’re family. You’re their daughter, just as much as I’m their kid. Of course, he’d help you out. All of us will.”

Luma pressed her forehead against Lacy’s and closed her eyes. As much as the sound of her mother’s voice calmed her, her best friend’s presence helped ground her.

“Speaking of help,” Lacy said after a moment, pulling away. “I’m still having trouble with the lock.”

Luma groaned, as she stood back up and they walked to the back of the building. The lock keeping the door shut was stuck and they didn’t want to deal with trying to get the bigger items that Jester and Cobalt were picking up through one of the other doors. Once they had had everything else settled, Lacy had taken to trying to unlock the door with little luck.

“I think I may have to just cut the lock. Didn’t want to do that since it’s such a pain, but we may have no choice,” Lacy explained. Their lips twisted to the side in thought as they moved their trunk/toolbox in front of them to rummage through.

“What do we need to do?”

Lacy opened their mouth to answer when a loud bark had them whipping around to see a white form cutting through the shadows. Fear crossed both of their faces and Luma immediately stepped in front of Lacy, bracing herself to be hit, but instead heard sliding and heavy panting. She cracked her eyes open to see a large white pit bull standing in front of her. Their front paws were dancing back and forth and tongue lolling out of their large jaws.

“Rex!”

Two voices called out at the same time, one from Lacy who wheeled closer to scratch the large block head, and the other belonged to a woman that was racing towards them, yelling the dog’s name. 

Cass stumbled to a stop next to Rex who was resting his head in Lacy’s lap, his long tail smacking against the concrete. “Ah shit. I’m sorry Lacy and...Lacy’s friend. Are you two okay?”

“I’m good,” Lacy said.

“I’m okay. Does your dog always run up to greet people like that?” Luma chuckled, taking a deep breath to calm her racing heart. For a second she thought she was going to get attacked, but from the look on the dog, the only thing she had to worry about was being licked to death or hit with that tail.

“He’s usually a lot better about this, but he loves Lacy so much, as soon as he saw them, he had to say come say ‘hi’.”

“Can’t blame him,” Luma replied, earning a bashful grin from her best friend. “Since those two are preoccupied, I’m Luma Orisini.” She held out her hand to the woman, taking in her dark grey tank top and black cutoff sweatpants that showed off a compact muscular body. Multicolored short hair was tousled, giving her an adorable windblown look. 

“Cass Charke," Cass responded, taking the offered hand and giving it a shake.

“Nice to finally put a face to the name. Lacy has talked a bit about you.” 

“And I’ve heard some about you. This is your place now, turning it into a tattoo shop, right?”

“Yeah, well mine and two friends of mine. We’re hoping to have a soft opening this week. Oya was telling me about you. And I remember catching you earlier when you were leaving the store,” Luma added, remembering the bashful way Cass had dropped her head and dashed off. It almost reminded her of her kindergartners when they were shy about something.

Cass stiffened as she realized the beauty in front of her was the same one from earlier. “Glad to know I made an impression,” She kidded, rolling her eyes at herself. “And this cuddle hound is Rebel Rex, but we all call him Rex," She said, hoping to change the subject.

“He is adorable,” Luma said as she knelt close to him. An ear twitched her way and Rex turned to look at her. She extended her hand to let him sniff. He didn’t hesitate to lick her palm and butt his head up against it, grumbling happily as Luma took over the ear scratches.

“Well you two are going to be stuck there for the rest of the night,” Cass joked.

Luma laughed, but reluctantly pulled herself away, earning a disappointed grumble from Rex. “Sorry bud, but I gotta try and get this door open.”

“Can I do anything to help? To at least make up for scaring the hell outta ya?” Cass asked, bouncing up on her toes.

“We’re just trying to get the door open. The key isn’t working in the lock. So we’re probably going to have to snap the lock.”

“But since I’m squishy boi and Luma’s not that great with tools...”

“Hey! True, but hey.”

“Mind helping out?” Lacy pulled out a pair of bolt cutters.

“Sure,” Cass replied. “You sure this isn’t gonna be a problem though? Cutting through it?”

“I’ll just buy a new lock later, not a big deal. You sure you can do this? Not that I’m saying you can’t,” Luma quickly added, seeing the raised eyebrows that comment received. “It’s just a thick lock and I don’t want you to hurt yourself helping.”

“Cass can easily crush this,” Lacy piped up.

As Cass internally winced at Lacy’s comment, which meant there was no way in hell she could fail now, a message from Oya popped up on her display.

_::O - Everything okay? Did you have to rescue Rex from the water again?::_

_::C - No, I met the neighbors and I’m helping Luma and Lacy get their door open.::_

_::O - You guys need any more help?::_

_::C - If you want. Sure.::_

_::O - Be down in just a sec.::_

“Oya will be down to help out in just a second,” Cass replied as she took the bolt cutters and moved over to the lock.

“Oh she doesn’t have to do that,” Luma said.

“Nah she doesn’t mind, she offered. Think of it as a welcome to the neighborhood kinda deal,” Cass said as she set the bladed edges to the shackle and began to squeeze. The shackle was thick, but after the earlier comments, there was no way she could let this kick her ass. Gritting her teeth she started to apply pressure, the door shaking slightly with her effort. Cass prided herself on her body, on being able to take down opponents bigger than her, but holy shit! 

Luma watched her go, her eyes unable to stay away from the bunching of muscles along her upper and lower arms, displayed by the tattered, dark grey muscle shirt she had underneath. _‘Oh boy.’_

“Don’t let it kick your ass, Cass,” Oya said as she came to stand next to Lacy, crossing her arms and watching.

“Very...funny,” Cass grunted. A stream of cuss words shot through Cass’s mind, interspersed with _‘come on’_ as she continued to try and cut through the metal. _‘This is stupid. Don’t slip don’t slip, HA!’_ The shackle gave way with a satisfying SNIP and Cass let out a breath, shaking out her arms and grimacing as she unclenched her fists. “Ha ha, gotcha.” She took off the lock and handed the cutters back to Lacy who put them away. “I win,” she grunted as she bent down and yanked upward, the door rolling up with a clang. The back lot became awash in the white light shining from the overhead lights of the shop and the three blinked as their eyes adjusted. Rex immediately took off to explore.

“Hey! Get back here, trouble,” Cass yelled.

“It’s okay,” Luma said, stepping up next to her and setting a hand on her arm. “There’s really nothing in here that he can get into that he could break.”

“Trust me he’ll find something,” Cass joked, stiffening when she realized how close Luma had stepped. She was struck at the honey warmth in Luma’s eyes, equaled by the warm smile on her lips. Her heart stuttered in her chest and she swallowed against a suddenly dry mouth. She always did have a weakness for a pretty smile.

“He’s adorable,” Luma said, kneeling and found her arms filled with an overenthusiastic dog, who had doubled back for attention. Thankfully he didn’t jump on her, but leaned against her, causing Luma to have to shift her feet a bit.

“He’s a pleasure hound and thinks he’s a lap dog,” Oya chuckled as she scratched Rex just behind the ears. It was obvious he was in Doggy Heaven with all these people lavishing attention on him as he leaned against Luma. Next to them, Cass couldn’t help but be entranced by the woman before her. Dogs were always a good judge of character, she always believed. Course Rex would love on anything that gave him scratches, but there weren’t many he would practically lay on like he was with Luma. A smile played on her face as she watched the two. _‘She’s beautiful.’_ Perhaps not the most original thought, but no other could come to mind as she watched the way Luma interacted with Rex, the way her face lit up with her smile. Brown eyes glanced up at Cass and the multicolored haired woman looked away quickly, hoping the heat crawling up her neck wasn’t visible.

Thankfully a large box truck pulling into the parking lot grabbed all of their attention.

Luma’s eyes lingered on Cass a moment longer, feeling her skin prickle with the memory of those blue eyes on her with such fascination, but just as quickly as she had seen it, it was gone.

“Yay, ya got it open!” Jess cheered as she jumped out of the cab before Cobalt started making a wide turn to back the truck up to the now open door. “This will make things SO much easier. Cass!” Jester launched herself at the shorter woman who just barely managed to catch her.

“Oof, hey Jess,” Cass laughed, sounding slightly winded.

“You guys already know one another?” Luma asked.

“Yeah her roommate Beau is a friend of mine and teacher at the gym I work at,” Cass explained, her attention turning to the truck. She and Oya helped signal to Cobalt to back it into place.

“All right,” Cobalt said after he shut off the engine and got out. “Thankfully, we have others here because I have no idea what Luma was thinking, not hiring someone to do this.”

“I was thinking that we need to save what money we can right now, that most of these come with a ramp, and Jess can probably bench press the both of us,” Luma replied.

“All valid points, I stand corrected,” The British man said as he and Cass moved to unload the metal ramp and get it into place. Once it was secure they opened up the back to reveal the supplies and remaining furniture. Jester and Cass immediately got to work on the larger, heavier boxes as everyone took the smaller items and helped organize. Between the six of them, they got the truck unloaded and everything inside in no time.

“I think that’s enough for today,” Luma said, leaning against one of the many boxes that now littered the inside of the store. “We can come back tomorrow and get everything set up.”

“What time do you want to meet here?” Cobalt asked.

“I have to watch Sophia and the gremlins in the morning, but I should be here by two,” Luma said. They walked around the store, shutting off the lights and closing things down. Cass ended up having to pick Rex up, who had found a comfy spot on one of the sofas and was refusing to vacate.

“What are we going to do about the door since we had to break the lock?” Cass asked.

“What if we turn the truck and back it up against the door? Maybe not flush, but close enough?” Luma suggested and everyone agreed. Cobalt got back into the car and Cass and Jester helped him as he backed up.

“Thanks for this,” Luma said to Cass as everyone started walking to where Cobalt had parked his car early that morning.

“Course,” Cass replied, glancing over at the other woman and offering a crooked grin. “Any time ya need help, just give a yell over to us.”

Warmed and utterly charmed by the offer of help given so easily, Luma nodded. “Will do.” She knew that the neighbors you had to deal with, didn’t matter if it was at home or work, could make your life hell or a breeze. Luma gave a small thank you to the universe to make this spot open for them because it seemed she lucked out when it came to neighbors. “Ya know, Oya was saying that you wanted to get a tattoo.” She was surprised at the brief grimace that crossed her face. “What?”

Cass rubbed the back of her head, cheeks puffing out as she let out a breath. “Yeah, I do, I just…”

“What?” Luma asked, curious what was making her so nervous.

“It’s stupid.”

“What is it?”

“I just…” Muscular shoulders lifted and dropped as Cass struggled to get the words out. Usually, she didn’t give two shits about looking stupid. She was often the first to dive headfirst into something. But for some reason, the idea of Luma possibly laughing at her reason had her stomach twisting.

Then again from what she knew from Lacy, and what she had witnessed even in their short time together, Luma didn't seem the type to be cruel. Teasing maybe, but not cruel. “I’m...nervous. About getting a tattoo.” Like what happened every time she mentioned this reason to someone, Cass saw Luma’s eyes glance over the bar in her eyebrow, and the metal glinting off her ears. “Yeah yeah I know, I have lotsa piercings but...that’s just like a one and done thing. Not...get stabbed over and over and,” She shook her head, feeling goosebumps running over her arms. Prickling embarrassment crawled up the back of her neck and she crossed her arms, shrugging with forced nonchalance. “Stupid, but it is what it is.”

A hand reached out and pressed against her forearm, squeezing it and pulling her attention back to Luma who didn’t have one ounce of teasing in her face. There was only a smile and understanding in her eyes. “That’s completely understandable and actually more common than you think. But if you ever want to change your mind, let me know. I’d love to be your first.” There was a beat and the realization of what she just said hit Luma and her eyes widened as red flushed her cheeks. “Tattoo artist I mean. That’s all. Wow.”

Cass smiled crookedly, pushing away the less than innocent thoughts that freudian slip had conjured. “No, I uh, I gotcha.” They stared at one another for a beat, before laughing at the awkwardness of the moment. Just like that, it broke and they slipped back into an easy silence.

“Luma? Come on, I can give you and Lace a ride home,” Cobalt said, breaking the moment. Luma glanced over and nodded.

“Okay. Well, I should get going. Thank you, Cass, again. You too Oya,” Luma added once they reached the rest of the group.

“Course. Come over any time. Running a place can be a pain, we gotta help each other out,” Oya replied with a gentle smile, offering a hug that Luma gratefully accepted. 

“Sounds good.” Luma turned to Cass, arms open. “Thanks again.”

Cass hesitated for a moment, but gently set down Rex and stepped forward to return the hug. “No problem.”

Neither could deny how nice this felt, how almost right it felt, but they broke apart, worried about making the other woman uncomfortable. Oya and Cass, having scooped back up a pouting Rex in her arms, made their way upstairs as the others piled in Cobalt’s van to return home.

Unbeknownst to either woman, both Cass and Luma could still feel the lingering heat from the hug that even the cool LA wind couldn’t dissipate.

_‘You just met. Don’t be dumb.’_


End file.
